Variability of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 polymerase gene from treatment naïve patients in Accra, Ghana

Kwamena William Coleman Sagoe, Magdar Dwidar, Margaret Lartey, Isaac Boamah, Afrakoma Adjoa Agyei, Anna Aba Hayford, Julius Abraham Addo Mingle, Max Q. Arens

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19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the HIV-1 drug resistance mutations in Ghana. Objectives: To determine the background protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) mutations of HIV-1 from treatment naïve patients in Ghana. Study design: Twenty-five plasma samples randomly selected were analyzed for drug resistance mutations. The molecular phylogeny and recombinant patterns of the polymerase gene of HIV-1 were also analysed. Results: No major drug-resistance mutations were seen in protease or reverse transcriptase genes. The L10I, L10V, V11I and E35G minor mutations were seen in four patients, while the V179E was observed in a patient with subtype G. An insertion of lysine was found at codon 36 of the protease gene of one patient. The predominant subtype was the CRF02_AG strain (n = 22), but 3 (13.6%) of these were recombinants with HIV-1 subtype K and/or A1. Two patients harboured unclassified/complex strains with D/CRF01_AE and G/CRFAG_02 subtypes for the PR and RT, respectively, using the Stanford Database. Viral loads (VL) ranged from 2290 to >1,500,000 c/ml (mean = 339,065 c/ml). Conclusions: Treatment naïve patients in Ghana before scale-up may have minor but not major PR mutations and high viral loads. The clinical effects of minor mutations/polymorphisms in the PR and RT genes and recombinants need to be investigated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)163-167
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Clinical Virology
Volume40
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2007

Keywords

  • Drug resistance mutations
  • Ghana
  • HIV-1
  • Polymerase gene
  • Recombinant
  • Subtype
  • Treatment naïve

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